EU halts imports of Brazilian meat and animal products over antibiotic rules
The European Union is suspending imports of Brazilian meat and other animal-origin products from Thursday, saying Brazil has not shown sufficient compliance with EU antibiotic-use rules. The ban covers poultry, meat, eggs and honey.
The European Commission has announced that, starting Thursday, Brazil will no longer be allowed to export food-producing animals and animal-origin products intended for human consumption to the EU. The move follows concerns that Brazil has not adequately demonstrated compliance with EU rules designed to prevent misuse of antibiotics in livestock farming.
The suspension will affect several product categories, including poultry, other meat, eggs and honey. Brussels has not given a timeline for when trade might resume.
Brazil was already added in May to an EU list of countries failing to meet antibiotic-use standards for animals. An audit of Brazil's poultry and honey sectors is set to be completed on Friday. Should the results be positive and EU member states approve, poultry exports could restart within weeks, while beef imports may take longer since resumption depends on how quickly Brazil proves compliance.
A Commission spokeswoman said Brazil remains an important EU partner and that discussions with Brazilian authorities are constructive, but stressed that trade can only resume once compliance is confirmed. Brazil's government did not immediately comment on Monday's announcement, though it had pledged in May to act swiftly to lift any suspension.
Fallout from the Mercosur deal
The EU's heightened scrutiny comes amid criticism from farmers and from France following the January 2026 signing of a free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc — Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. In 2025, Brazil was the EU's second-largest beef supplier, exporting over 92,000 tonnes worth more than 713 million euros.
The EU bans the use of antimicrobials to promote livestock growth and restricts antibiotics reserved for human medicine, as part of its effort to combat antimicrobial resistance. Carlos Roberto dos Santos, a farmer in Brazil's Sao Paulo state, said he understood the EU's motives, noting that European production costs are far higher and that importing cheap meat could damage the bloc's own farming sector.
